Always Fighting

For the last 16 months, we have been fighting. Fighting a disease that doesn't play fair. Fighting for Jack to be a little boy. Fighting. We fight insurance companies. We fight pharmacies, We fight the school district. We fight the school. We fight others that don't understand or want to understand. We fight teachers. The fighting is very tiring. It adds on to everything we must do in a day to keep Jack safe and alive. We have fought for Izzy to be a part of our lives, to be there to help Jack, to go to school with Jack. I know that we can't stop fighting. To stop fighting is letting this disease win.

Without Type 1, life is a fight. Nothing is easy and never will be easy. Type 1 makes everything that much harder. Life is hard and I would be a fool to say that it wasn't. Many would ask if I lived under a rock if I said that life was easy. Type 1 compounds the problem - I don't even have Type 1. I know that Jon and I's life is harder because of it. I can only imagine how hard it is for Jack. Right now he lives in this blissful unaware state of 8 years old. I'm so grateful that he is blissfully unaware of the fight that is ahead of him - the fight that he is already in.

As I said in my last post, Izzy is working through the perceived danger that is Jack's classroom. He seems to be getting better. However, one of the teachers in the class seems not to like Izzy or the fact that he is in the class. Today, she made Izzy come home because he was pacing and not laying down. Jack's blood sugar was high and Jack was ignoring him. Izzy's answer to Jack ignoring him was to get up and pace and thus annoying Jack - yes, I said thus. Both of Jack's teachers told Jon that it was something other than that but Jon knew that it was just Jack's blood sugar. I don't want them to call me everyday because they perceive that he is bein disruptive.

I feel like I've come to the point that I don't want to fight anymore. I know that I have to fight for Jack, fight for Izzy and fight for other kids that will come. I know that we have a master champion in our corner and that through all of this His will is going to be done. God has an amazing plan for Jack and Izzy.

For now.

Perceived Danger

On Monday, Izzy had a rough day. He was fine when I dropped him and Jack off at school and through music. When it was time for him to go back to class he was having no part of it. The teachers finally got him back into the class but he would not settle down. Jack's teachers called me to let me know what was going on. Thankfully my mom was off that day and she headed that way. In the short time that it took her to get there, one of Jack's teachers called again to tell me that Izzy was visibly shaking. I got more concerned and called Jon. I, then, headed that way. I thought that he was sick or got into something. When my mom got there, Jack and Izzy were sitting in the clinic. My mom called to tell me that Izzy was just fine. Jack's class had already gone to lunch and Jack was eating in the clinic. When I got there, I grabbed Izzy and headed down to the class to see if I could figure out what was wrong. He walked with me all the way to the class and I got him to go into the class but I could tell that something was wrong. He was very antsy and didn't want to be there. I did notice a new smell in the class when I walked in but didn't think much about it. When we got back to the clinic, I asked the nurse what Jack's blood sugar was and she told me that it had been dropping after music. I thought that Izzy was alerting and that is why he didn't want to go in the class. I also thought that the new smell might be overwhelming him. I asked my mom if she could take Izzy home. That afternoon I googled smells that dogs have an aversion to and one of the main ones is citrus. I talked with Jack's teacher and they told me that they had just placed new plug ins in the room that morning and they were Hawaiian breeze - which has citrus in it. We were able to put everything together and figure out what happened. Jack's blood sugar began to drop very quickly. One thing to know about the body and what scent it gives off for Izzy to know what to do - when the blood sugar is dropping, the body releases a sour smell and when the blood sugar is rising, the body releases a sweet smell. One thing that Jack had that helped diagnose his Type 1 diabetes was a sweet smell to his breath - that is also an indicator of DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis). When Jack and Izzy were nearing the class, Izzy could now smell the sweet smell of the air freshener in the classroom and it threw his brain into crisis mode. Izzy did not want Jack to go into that classroom because Izzy thought (now) that Jack was in immediate danger. The reason he was calm in the clinic was because Izzy knew that Jack was safe. Over the next few days Izzy began not wanting to go to the classroom. I talked with Bubba and that is when he explained to me that Izzy was associating the classroom with danger. Izzy loves Jack so much and wants to keep him safe at all costs. God amazes me that He allows this little yellow dog to have the where with all to perceive a danger that we as humans would not have done so.

Izzy has been with us for just over a month and he has already saved Jack's life a few times. Keep praying for Izzy as he is working through this perceived danger.

For now.

Another First Day

Yesterday was another first for Jack and Izzy. Izzy went to school all day with Jack without Jon or I being there. I had to work and Jon had taken the day off. I, of course, was a nervous wreck. Why you ask? Mainly because I am a mom, also because I knew that I wouldn't be in control of the situation. Something that I have begun to realize over the past few days - I hate not being in control of every situation that I am in or at least having a feeling of someone being in control. There I admitted it for the whole world to know and I am not ashamed.

Ok, so back to yesterday. Yesterday was a milestone day. Jack was able to show Jon and I, as well as all of the school personnel that he is working really hard with Izzy and that he (Jack) can control him. Other than 2 small issues that we will hopefully work out this weekend, they both did phenomenal. I am so proud of Jack for stepping up and showing us all just how mature and responsible he truly is. He loves this dog more than I can ever explain to all of you. He is so careful with him - he doesn't want to hurt him. Last week, Izzy's foot got hit with the door and Jack just started crying. Apologizing to Izzy for letting the door hit him, sitting in the floor with him to make sure he was ok. He has a very tender heart and love just pours out. Together the 2 of them conquered school. They did baseline county testing together, they went to music together. Izzy alerted a couple of times and they marched to the clinic together. They are fighting Type 1 together and it makes my mom heart explode!

They are at school together today and I can't wait to go at lunch time to hear all about their morning.

Thank you for praying for Jack and Izzy. May I please ask another prayer request? We have had a hard time over the last 2 weeks feeling comfortable with the nurse and nursing staff at Jack's school. Last week, he had some dangerous lows. This week, there have been 3 different nurses in the school. We have asked about his nurse from last year. They are going to check and see if she is available. Please pray for Jack and the other 4 Type 1 kids that they do well until a steady permanent nurse can be placed. Thanks.


For now.

Kim